Representative Burt Solomons

Our Neighbor

THE Red County

POWERED BY RED COUNT Y

De-Programming Students | Veterans MemorialElectoral College Experience | Phyllis Schlafl y

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M2

1400 N. Corinth St – Ste. 106Corinth, TX 76210 940/321-2671

www.dentongop.org

Chairman – DIANNE EDMONDSON

1st Vice Chair (Political Aff airs) – TOM WASHINGTON

2nd Vice Chair (Finance) – BILL LAWRENCE

3rd Vice Chair (Prct. Chair Development) – RICHARD BOYER

4th Vice Chair (Outreach) – CARLOS GALLARDO

Treasurer – BOB McCOMBS

Recording Secretary – MARC MOFFITT

Corresponding Secretary – CONNIE HUDSON

Parliamentarian – MARGARET BARNES

Sgt. At Arms – JEFF ANDONIAN

Technology Chair – ELLIOTT WOOD

Lincoln-Reagan Dinner Chair – NANCY DILLARD

Program Chair – AVIE RABURN

Prct. Chair Selection Chair – BARBARA RUSSELL

Executive Director – ROY MAGNO

Headquarters Administrator – MARCENE SEEBER

We can be SOOOOO proud here in Denton County!

Despite an energized, organized challenge by the Democrats in nearly half our local races, Denton County

remains fi rmly in the hands of Republicans.Th e State Victory team also was very proud of us as we

exceeded their vote goals and won every election contest they presented us: registering voters, recruiting and seating precinct chairs and party building activities.

Th is would not have been accomplished without the more than 1000 volunteers throughout our county who made this victory possible: Victory Chair - Tom Washington, Area Leaders, DCRP Offi cers and Precinct Chairs, Headquarters volunteers, poll watchers, election clerks and judges, precinct walkers, phone bankers, sign placers, and all the others who were a part of our team. Th anks to each of you!

Th e extraordinary election eff ort put forth by Roy Magno and his wife Charlotte, plus their three boys (Anthony, Taylor and Johnnie) made them the clear choice for the DCRP Chairman’s Award. And the Outstanding Volunteer committee recognized Deon Starnes for her work as an Area Leader, Precinct Chair, Denton Republican Women’s Club president, convention delegate and much more. Both awards were given at the November, 2008 Volunteer Recognition Banquet and other honorees are mentioned in the story elsewhere in this newsletter.

But sweet as our victory is, we must not become complacent. Statewide, we suff ered losses in the legislature that resulted in a razor thin GOP majority in the House and a smaller majority in the Senate. What makes this even more critical is that the upcoming 2010 elections will determine which party controls the legislature and thus the redistricting that will take place following the 2010 census.

So, thanks to our awesome volunteers – past, present and future – take a breather, but get ready to jump back into the election cycle next year to take back as many of those lost GOP seats as possible. It will be a crucial election that will determine the political makeup of Denton County and indeed the entire state for the next decade. And we can’t aff ord to let the Democrats control that process! Even here in Denton county, some victory margins are shrinking and we can take no seat for granted.

We will be in touch!

Dianne EdmondsonDCRP County Chair

remains fi rmly in the hands of Republicans.

Denton County Remains THE Red County!

R E D C O U N T Y 3R E D C O U N T Y 3

4 EDITOR’S NOTE

D E N T O N C O U N T Y G O P

2 DENTON COUNTY REMAINS THE RED COUNTY? by Dianne Edmondson

4 ALL IN THE CLUB by Marc Moffi tt

5 SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE

6 DE-PROGRAMMING STUDENTS by Th omas Sowell

7 VETRANS MEMORIAL BREAKS GROUND by Dan Jaworski

C O V E R S T O R Y

8 REPRESENTATIVE BURT SOLOMONS Our Neighbor

D E N T O N C O U N T Y G O P

10 DCRP HONORS VOLUNTEERS AT SPECIAL DINNER Th e Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner

12 OUT AND ABOUT A Photo Essay

14 AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE by Tom Furgusun

16 “WE LOVE TO TALK”, DECLARES BIDEN by Mona Charen

18 PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY TO HEADLINE LINCOLN-REAGAN EVENT

Representative Burt Solomons (Dist. 65).

ON THE COVER

LINCOLN-REAGAN EVENT

Representative Burt Solomons (Dist. 65).

ON THE COVER

Scott W. GravesEditor-in-Chief

Publisher

Dianne EdmondsonContributing Editor

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dianne Edmondson

Marc Moffi tt

� omas Sowell

Dan Jaworski

Tom Furgusun

Mona Charen

PRODUCTION

Frank ChlarsonCreative Director

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(Issue 3)Departments

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M4

How do I get involved? What can I do to help? Th ese are the two most asked questions of guests at our monthly Executive Committee meetings, and the best answer is “Join one of our local clubs!”

Denton County is home to over fi fteen GOP clubs ranging from the Denton Republican Women’s Club to the College Republicans, all of which are actively involved in supporting issues and candidates that stand for the conservative government principles upon which out Party is based. (Clubs, membership applications and meeting schedules are posted on the DCRP website: www.dentongop.org.)

Th e purpose of the local clubs is to: • Develop personal relationships between members,

elected offi cials, and candidates.• Provide specifi c opportunities for service.• Encourage grassroots issues and campaigns.Former Denton County Republican Men’s Club

President, and County Commissioner Andy Eads says, “Clubs are a great way to develop relationships with offi ce holders, their staff , and other community leaders.” During the Primary elections, several clubs hosted candidate forums and debates that provided opportunities for candidates to

discuss important issues and speak directly to the voters. Members of those clubs were given valuable personal time with the candidates to learn about candidates’ stands and qualifi cations in a more casual environment. “People want to know if the person they are voting for is qualifi ed, and the best way to fi nd out is to talk to them in person. It’s a rare opportunity that you don’t get very often, and the clubs provide that opportunity,” notes Eads.

Opportunities to get involved are abundant at many of the clubs in Denton County. Following the 2008 Presidential election on November 4th, County Chairman Dianne Edmondson challenged each of the clubs to become more active in campaigns for Republican issues and candidates. “We need to make sure that we are working hard to promote conservative issues and candidates,” she says. “We are one of the most conservative counties in the nation, and it’s important that we stay that way.” Chairman Edmondson continued by saying, “It is going to be vitally important that Republicans have a solid base built up for the 2010 Elections, because that election will determine how Austin draws redistricting lines here in Denton County.

All In the Club

Marc Moffi tt

BY: MARC MOFFITT

CLUB PresideNt e-MaiL PhONe MeetiNG day & tiMe

Conservative Toastmasters Tim Mangrum coach@timmangrum.com 940.239.0564 Mondays call for information

DC Republican Assembly Greg Hayden gmhayden@verizon.net 214-288-6626 2nd Monday 6 p.m. dinnercall for location

DC RepublicanMen’s Club Judge Jim Crouch JCrouch659@yahoo.com 972-436-4216 1st Thurs of the month 7:00pm

Lewisville Chamber

Denton RepublicanWomen’s Club Deon Starnes neon_deon@verizon.net (940) 300.8502

3rd Wednesdays11:30 lunch noon meetingLoop 288 Golden Corral

Frisco RepublicanMen’s Club

Ed TammBob Chambers

edtamm@hotmail.comrcctx@sbcglobal.net 972-668-1619

1st Thursday 6:30 PMTexas Land & Cattle

Preston & Gaylord - Frisco

Frisco AreaRepublican Woman’s Club Sandy Simpson sandsimp@swbell.net 972.335.1829 2nd Tuesday - 11:30 AM

Westin Stonebriar Hotel on Legacy

Legacy Republican Club Carlos Gallardo carlos-gallardo@att.net 972.668.1527 TBA

Lewisville Area Republican Club Avie Raburn araburn@texasstopgun.com 972.317.48914th Friday of the month

11:30am order food - 12:00 Meeting Landmark Grill

Metrocrest Republican Club Bob Phelps bob0701@att.net 2nd Wednesday 7:00 PM

Pachyderm Clubof Denton County Cynthia Mitchell cynthia@cynthiamitchell.net 469.446.4246

1st Wed of the month11:30am order food - 12:00 Meeting

Texas Land and Cattle Company

Republican Business Networking Roy Magno roy@yoymagno.com 940.783.7339

2nd & 4th FridaysTexas Land & Cattle,Hickory Creek, I35E

Robson Ranch Republican Club Rudy Cajka cajka1@grandecom.net 940.262.3207 1st Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m.Robson Ranch Clubroom

Contact Information for 2009 Denton County Clubs

Rev

. 1/2

7/09

kec

Continued on facing page.

R E D C O U N T Y 5

Scholarship Available Th e Denton County Republican party is off ering a

$500.00 scholarship for a deserving Republican college student. All applicants must be legal Denton County residents; fulltime students taking 12 or more semester hours; either an entering Fall 2009 freshman or current student at a Texas institution of higher education; and if eligible, must be a registered to vote, or if not of voting age must show GOP involvement. Applications must be received by May 1, 2009, and be accompanied by a current transcript copy (or admission letter if entering freshman), resume and at least one letter of recommendation. Visit our website at www.dentongop.org and click on the Outreach link to download a scholarship application and to get additional information. n

At this time, new clubs are forming across the county to accomplish that goal of meeting the needs of those individuals who want a place to get plugged in on a local level. Roy Magno, Executive Director of the Denton County Republican Party, points out, “We want to make sure that we are making it easy for people to get involved. Sometimes the club meeting time or location is just not convenient for certain people, so other groups can be formed as needed .” Roy is working at this time on forming the Republican Business Networking Group club which will focus on developing relationships between conservative business professionals. “We are defi nitely looking for individuals that have a desire to get involved; we have a lot to do in the next 12 months,” notes Magno. Th ere will also be several other clubs starting and reorganizing over the next few months throughout the county. One of those groups is the Denton County Young Republicans, which will be designed to develop professional relationships between individuals that are out of college and seeking to get involved in the local political experience. A north Denton County Club and a Castle Hills Club are also being discussed.

Th e grassroots level of organization is often appealing to many people, especially if they have an idea for a legislative or political issue. Brooke Hambrick, Senior Field Representative at State Senator Jane Nelson’s offi ce says, “Senator Nelson gets many great suggestions from people that we meet at the local club meetings. Th ose ideas are usually solid, conservative ideas that we can use to move good legislation and policies in Austin.” Mrs. Hambrick also mentioned that people often know that they are making a diff erence when they off er suggestions to staff members.

If you would like more information regarding the local clubs that are available, or ir you are interested in starting a local club, please call Avie Rayburn @ 972-317-489, or Marc Moffi tt @ 817-905-2813. You may also visit www.dentongop.org, and click on the link for Clubs/Committees. n

entering freshman), resume and at least one letter of recommendation. Visit our website at www.dentongop.orgwww.dentongop.organd click on the Outreach link to download a scholarship application and to get additional information. n

Opportunities to get involved are abundant at many of the clubs in Denton County.

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M6

Letters from parents often complain of a sense of futility in trying to argue with their own children, who have been fed a steady diet of the politically correct vision of the world, from elementary school to the university.

Some ask for suggestions of particular books that might make a dent in the know-it-all attitude of some young people who have heard only one side of the story in classrooms all their lives.

Th at is one way of going about trying to de-program young people. Th ere are, for example, some good books showing what is wrong with the “global warming” crusades or showing why male-female diff erences in income or occupations are not automatically discrimination.

Various authors have written a lot of good books that demolish what is currently believed and taught to students on a wide range of issues. Some of those books are listed as suggested readings on my website (www.tsowell.com).

Yet trying to undo the propaganda that passes for education at too many schools and colleges, one issue at a time, may not always be the best strategy. Th ere are too many issues on which the politically correct party line is considered to be the only way to look at things.

Given the wide range of issues on which students are indoctrinated, instead of being educated, trying to undo all of that would require a whole shelf full of books and somehow getting the students to read them all.

Another approach might be to respond to the dogmatic certainty of some young person, perhaps your own off spring, by asking: “Have you ever read a single book on the other side of that issue?”

Chances are, after years of being “educated,” even at some of the highest-priced schools and colleges, they have not.

When the inevitable answer to your question is “No,” you can simply point out how illogical it is to be so certain about anything when you have heard only one side of the story no matter how often you have heard that one side repeated.

Would it make sense for a jury to reach a verdict after having heard only the prosecution’s case, or only the defense attorney’s case, but not both?

Th ere is no need to argue the specifi cs of the particular issue that has come up.

You can tell your overconfi dent young student that you will be happy to discuss that particular issue after he or she has taken the elementary step of reading something by somebody on the other side.

Elementary as it may seem that we should hear both sides of an issue before making up our minds, that is seldom what happens on politically correct issues today in our schools

and colleges. Th e biggest argument of the left is that there is no argumentó whether the issue is global warming, “open space” laws or whatever.

Some students may even imagine that they have already heard the other side because their teachers may have given them their version of other people’s arguments or motives.

But a jury would never be impressed by having the prosecution tell them what the defendant’s defense is. Th ey would want to hear the defense attorney present that case.

Yet most students who have read and heard repeatedly about the catastrophes awaiting us unless we try to stop “global warming” have never read a book, an article or even a single word by any of the hundreds of climate scientists, in countries around the world, who have expressed opposition to that view.

Th ese students may have been shown Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth” in school, but are very unlikely to have been shown the British Channel 4 television special, “Th e Great Global Warming Swindle.”

Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that students are being indoctrinated with the correct conclusions on current issues, that would still be irrelevant educationally. Hearing only one side does nothing to equip students with the experience to know how to sort out opposing sides of other issues they will have to confront in the future, after they have left school and need to reach their own conclusions on the issues arising later.

Yet they are the jury that will ultimately decide the fate of this nation. nTo fi nd out more about Thomas Sowell and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His Web site is www.tsowell.com.Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

De-Programming Students

BY THOMAS SOWELL

Th at is one way of going about trying to de-program and colleges. Th e biggest argument of the left is that there

Thomas Sowell

R E D C O U N T Y 7

Offi cials from Denton County, the City of Carrollton, citi-zens and veterans all gathered on a chilly Decem-ber 6th morning to break ground on the county’s fi rst offi cial Veterans Memorial.

Once built, the memorial will sit on the front lawn of the Sandy Jacobs Government Center in Carrollton. Th e monu-ment is to be made of granite, honoring all fi ve military branches with an inscription paying homage to “the men and women who have served the United States in war and peace, those who stand in harm’s way.” Ceremonial fl ags, a meandering path and several benches along with granite slabs with bronze plaques bearing the names of veterans will

make up the memorial.Commissioner Ron

Marchant presided over the ceremonies that in-cluded comments from Congressman Kenny Marchant, Carrollton Mayor Ron Branson as well as the presen-tation of a certifi cate commemorating the event from State Sena-tor Jane Nelson.

Also present were special guests, Hobart Marchant and J.C. Banks, both veterans of World War II. Mr. Marchant is the father to both Congressman and Commissioner Marchant while Mr. Banks is a Pearl Harbor survivor.

All special guests and members of the Veterans Memorial steering committee took part in the ceremonial “turning of dirt”, marking the beginning of construction for the project. Th e committee hopes to continue construction of the memorial early in 2009, with the funds for the project coming entirely from private donations. So far, the com-mittee has raised about $25,000 of the estimated $75,000 needed to complete the memorial.

Th ose wishing to place the name of a veteran on a bronze plaque will be able to do so at an estimated donation of $50-$75. Th e estimated cost for the construction of the memorial could reach $100,000. Commissioner Marchant has a pas-sion for the project, saying “Th ey’re (veterans) not a bragging bunch of people but they need to be recognized.”

All donations made are tax deductible and those wish-ing to donate are encouraged to contact Commissioner Marchant’s offi ce (972-434-7140). n

BY DAN JAWORSKI

County’s First Offi cial

Veterans MemorialBreaks Ground

(l-r) Congressman Kenny Marchant, J. C. Banks, Hobart Marchant, and Commissioner Ron Marchant.

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M�

Pa r t y L e a d e r s h i P

Although his family had only modest means, Burt’s par-ents made sure that education was a priority for him. After Burt graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Dal-las, he attended Texas Tech University while also working at KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Texas starting off as a camera man and ending his career in TV as a switcher-director upon graduation. Having an interest in local governmental af-fairs, Burt received a graduate teaching fellowship at SMU and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. His first job upon graduating was an administrative assistant for the Mayor and City Manager of Richardson, Texas. From there he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he worked to put himself through the University of Tulsa law school, first working for UPS and then as a legal intern for a prominent law firm in Tulsa which utilized him to assist both litiga-tors and transactional attorneys in the firm including do-ing research on various land titles for land donated to Oral

Roberts University. This work focused his inter-est in real estate where he also became

involved in municipal platting law.

Upon graduating, Burt moved back to Dallas and promptly used his legal skills to assist local governments. His first job was the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Denton, and eventually Acting City Attorney for a brief period. Asked to become General Counsel for Lawyer’s Title of Denton and Lewisville, this position gave Burt an opportunity to use his real estate skills and learn the title

Rep. Burt Solomons Our Neighbor

Raised in North Dallas and a resident of Denton County for over 30 years, Texas State Representative Burt Solomons focuses on what he sees as the job of representing his community and neighbors.

Rep. Solomons makes a point during the Texas legislative session.

R E D C O U N T Y 9

business from the inside. After fi ve years working in the title business, Burt began his private law practice in Denton County and within the fi rst year of doing so, was appointed to be the Municipal Judge of Carrollton, while continuing his law practice. He also later served part-time as an As-sistant Municipal Judge for Lewisville and Flower Mound. In addition, he has served as the President of the Texas Municipal Courts Association and Provost of the Texas Supreme Court Judicial Education Advisory Committee, and attended the National Judicial College.

Over the years Burt became quite active in local commu-nity groups including various chambers of commerce, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Rotary Club, and was a Charter Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Denton County.

While working in the title industry, Burt met his wife, Jamie, who had been raised in Carrollton, graduating from R. L. Turner High School. Th e Solomons have lived in Carrollton since their fi rst meeting a few years before they married in 1987 , and both became active in the local Republican Party. Both have served as precinct chairs, and Burt was elected to serve as a Vice-President and President of the Denton County Repub-lican Men’s Club. Before being elected as a state representative, Rep. Solomons served as a delegate to the Denton County Republican Convention and the State of Texas Republican Convention and as Parliamentarian to Denton County Republican Convention. In the Texas House, Burt has participated in the Re-publican Caucus as its Sergeant-of-Arms and as Chair of the Caucus’ Task Force on Economic Development, and the Texas Conservative Coalition.

Approached by several longtime Republicans in 1994, Burt agreed to fi le for State Representative of District 65, and has been proud to represent his community of neigh-bors and friends since then. Rep. Solomons currently serves as the Chair of the House Committee on Financial Insti-tutions, a position he has held for the past three sessions. Under his leadership of 12 years on the committee, some of the toughest consumer protection in the United States for home equity lending was passed by the committee.

Rep. Solomons was recently named as Chairman of the powerful State Aff airs committee for the current legislative session. He also has served on the House Committee on Business and Industry since his fi rst session. Th rough his service on this committee, Burt has gained an extensive knowledge of a variety of large and small legislative issues involving business, homeowner associations, and work-ers’ compensation. In addition to these committees, Rep. Solomons has served on the Sunset Advisory Commission

(as Chairman), the Committee on Economic Development, the Local and Consent Calen-dars Committee, and the Select Committee on Constitutional Revisions.

Being true to his conservative Republican roots and his district, Rep. Solomons has carried legislation on prayer in school, illegal immigration, and allowing home rule cities to limit the location of bars, liquor stores and sexually oriented businesses. In 2005, he was named the second most conser-vative legislator by the Texas Young Conservatives.

In addition to these bills, Burt has authored many major changes in Texas law. He helped create the Texas Online project, created the Texas No-Call List, modernized the Texas Finance Code, re-written the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, the Business Organizations Code, and much of the mechanic’s lien law used in the State.

However, it is the local bills of which Burt is most proud. He believes these are the bills that really have direct impact on so many in his community of Denton County. He has created various district, criminal, statutory and probate courts for Denton County, the Denton County Transportation Authority, helped Texas Women’s University build a new student center and provide medical services, sup-

ported the University of North Texas in its eff orts to obtain funding, preserved the Denton County Historical Park Foundation, and allowed Denton County to regulate au-tomotive wrecking and salvage yards – just to name a few pieces of legislation.

Even after 14 years in the Texas House, Burt has not lost the “man-off -the-streets” attitude. If you meet with him in his district offi ce he is most likely to be in jeans and a golf shirt. He frequently answers his own phone, and personally greets visitors to his Capitol Offi ce if he is not on the House Floor working. During the busiest of times of the Session, his focus is still on his community. Every night while he is in Austin he calls home to talk to Jamie and their daughter, Haley. As one of his close friends in Lewisville once ob-served when Burt fi rst was elected, “Burt is a local guy and he isn’t going to change.” His friends and neighbors in our community know he still is one of them. n

(as Chairman), the Committee on Economic Development, the Local and Consent Calen-dars Committee, and the Select Committee on

Carrollton since their fi rst meeting a few years before they In addition to these bills, Burt has authored many

Rep. Solomons acted as presiding speaker during the 2007 session in Austin.

Enjoying the 200� Denton County GOP golf tournament with Burt are David Arbuckle of AT&T (left) and Larry Williams, Carrollton City Council member.

More than 250 volunteers and elected offi cials enjoyed the dinner, which was emceed by State Senator Jane Nelson. County Chairman Dianne Edmondson announced that Denton County had actually exceeded the vote goals set for us by the state Victory team, maintaining the GOP hold on every partisan elected offi ce in the county.

In addition to celebrating Denton County’s strong showing in the November election, the event gave the county’s GOP clubs the opportunity to select their Outstanding Members (see accompanying photos), feted Barbara Russell of Denton as the Precinct Chair of the Year, named Deon Starnes of Denton as the Outstanding

d e N tO N C O U N t y G O P

DCRPHonors Volunteers at Special Dinner The mood was festive and the participants jovial at the annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner held November 20 at Sneaky Pete’s waterfront restaurant in Lewisville.

left to right: David Laschinger and Sen. Nelson present Rudy Cajka (center) with the Robson

Ranch Outstanding Member award.

R E D C O U N T Y 1 1

Volunteer and honored the Roy Magno family with the coveted Chairman’s Award. (Kathy Carrington and Marc Core were unable to attend but were named by their clubs, Denton County Republican Men’s Club and Pachyderm Club of Denton County, as Outstanding Members.)

An exciting highlight of the evening was the drawing for the winner of the voter registration contest sponsored by Congressmen Kenny Marchant and Michael Burgess. Jeff Andonian of Carrollton and Susan Passierello of Argyle were the two lucky winners of a trip to Washington DC, courtesy of their congressmen. An enjoyable surprise “lesson” occurred when Justice of the Peace Joe Holland taught the group to sing “Texas, My Texas”, a song all true Texans should know!

Th anks to the generosity of several elected offi cials, the top Denton County Republican Party volunteers, including poll watchers from the November election, were treated to the special dinner. Th ose sponsoring the event included: U.S. Senator John Cornyn; Congressmen Michael Burgess and Kenny Marchant; State Senators Jane Nelson, Chris Harris and Craig Estes; State Representatives Myra Crownover, Burt Solomons and Tan Parker; Judges Bruce McFarling, Lee Gabriel, Margaret Barnes, Darlene Whitten, Joe Bridges, Jim Crouch, Richard “Ski” Podgorski, Virgil Vahlenkamp, and David Garcia; District Attorney Paul Johnson; Sheriff Benny Parkey; District Clerk Sherri Adelstein; Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell; and Justice of the Peace Joe Holland. n

left to right: Chairman Edmondson, Barbara Russell (200� Precinct Chair of the Year), Connie Hudson (chair of the Pct. Chair of the Year committee), and Sen. Nelson. Jana Inge, (l) and Lisa Lyon were the Outstanding

members of their clubs, Denton Republican Women’s Club and Lewisville Area Republican Club.

left to right: The Roy Magno family (Chairman’s Award), Chairman Edmondson and Sen. Nelson Sen. Nelson and Paul Kramer present Shirley Spellerberg (center) with

the Denton County Republican Assembly Outstanding Member award.

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M1 2

Out and About

Justice of the Peace James De Piazza (l), State Rep. Tan Parker and Judge Margaret Barnes helped honor volunteers.

d e N tO N C O U N t y G O Pd e N tO N C O U N t y G O P

District Clerk Sherri

Adelstein, Pct. Chair

Elizabeth Keller and her

mom, State Senator

Jane Nelson show off

their vocal chords with

“Texas, Our Texas.”

The Jim Beveredge family enjoyed the banquet.

Enjoying the Volunteer Recognition Banquet –Area leaders are thanked for their eff orts.

R E D C O U N T Y 1 3

Out and AboutOakmont golf pro Chad Harris

updates the Leader Board.

2008 Golf Tournament

Kathy Orr celebrates making a great putt.

State Rep. Tan Parker is

paired with Dan Jaworski.

State Senator Jane Nelson and her family at the

opening day of the Texas Legislature.

Governor Rick Perry dropped by DCRP Headquarters before the Election and helped volunteers get literature packets ready.

Senator John Cornyn picked up

some votes as he worked the

phones at DCRP Headquarters

just before the Election. Hard work pays off !

W W W . R E D C O U N T Y . C O M1 4

After the General Election, many people who knew I was an Elector asked me if the results meant I had to vote for Obama! Th is is a fundamental misunderstanding of the process. So, fi rst, let us take a quick tour of how the system works. You can read more details in the US Constitution, Article II, Section 1; the Twelfth Amendment, and various federal and state statutes relating to election law.

Electors are associated with a particular party and/or candidate. In some states, electors are appointed directly by the state party; others are elected by caucus. In Texas, being the grass roots state that we are, the Republican electors are chosen by Congressional District Caucus during the State convention. I was chosen as the Elector for CD 24 by a vote at our 2008 Convention in Houston. In addition to the electors chosen in caucus, two ‘at large’ electors are chosen by the Nominations Committee at the State convention since each state’s electoral votes are equal to the number of Congressional representatives in the state plus two. Th e 34 people chosen as Electors at the RPT State convention all signed an affi davit promising to cast their votes for the Republican Presidential and Vice-Presidential Nominees. Similarly, the Democrats and any other parties on the ballot in Texas would have chosen 34 electors pledged to their candidates.

When the General Election occurred on November 4, the voters were actually deciding which slate of electors will be chosen for the Electoral College in each state. All but two states (Maine and Nebraska) use the ‘winner take all’ system. Th us, the winner of a plurality of votes in the state is suffi cient to give ALL of the electoral votes for that state to the winner. Since John McCain received the most votes in Texas, each member of the Republican slate of candidate electors was duly certifi ed by the Secretary of State as a member of the Electoral College for Texas. To allow time for certifying the vote and possible recount issues (remember 2000!), the Electoral College does not meet until the fi rst Monday after the second Wednesday of December (this is by federal statute).

When the results are certifi ed, the Secretary of State of Texas notifi es each winning Elector of the time and place of the meeting of the Electoral College; this year, at 2pm on Monday, December 15, in the House

By Tom FergusonBy Tom Ferguson

Benjamin Franklin famously remarked that the Founding Fathers had given us “a Republic, if you can keep it” as our form of government. The Electoral College is a cornerstone of our republic, though few citizens understand how it works and many of those who do want to get rid of it. This ignorance is a tragedy and the malice toward the system is misdirected.

An Electoral College Ex perience

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An Electoral College Ex perience CollegeChamber of the State Capitol. Most of the Electors traveled to Austin on Sunday night. On Monday, the Republican Party of Texas hosted a luncheon for us near the Capitol and we were then shuttled to the Capitol for the meeting. After the ceremonial anthems and pledges, the fi rst order of business is to choose a permanent chair, the Secretary of State, Hope Andrade, presiding until then. Pat Peale (CD 26 – Cooke County) was chosen as Chair and Mary Darby as Secretary. Th e staff of the Secretary of State facilitated the meeting; distributing and collecting the ballots. Each Elector was given a ballot for President and then a ballot for Vice-President. All the votes were counted and – surprise! – John McCain and Sarah Palin each received 34 votes! Th e Secretary of State then prepared six original copies of the results of the election and each elector signed all six copies. After all of the signatures were collected, the meeting was adjourned. Th e results of the election are sent to the President of the United States Senate as well as to the National Archives. Meanwhile, the Electors gathered in the Secretary of State’s offi ce for a reception hosted by Ms. Andrade. From there, we made our way home to fi ll out our expense reports – the state reimburses each elector for their expenses incurred in fulfi lling their duties.

So, why should we keep what appears to be a largely ceremonial system? And why should we allow the possibility that the will of the “majority” may be thwarted (as in 2000, where Al Gore won a majority of the popular vote, but President Bush won the Electoral College vote 271-267)? Th ere are movements afoot to get rid of the Electoral College – (just Google that phrase) even without changing the constitution.

First of all, without the Electoral College, the presidential campaign would focus only on the major population centers of the country. By contrast, the Electoral College forces the candidates to pay attention to a wide variety of states and issues, depending on which states are battle grounds in that particular cycle. Secondly, the Electoral College compartmentalizes fraud. Because of the winner take all system, fraud in one state may help a candidate win

that state, but it does not pollute the rest of the system. Th ink of a corrupt state, oh, let’s say, Illinois for example! It would be possible for such a state to dump in hundreds of thousands of ‘extra’ fraudulent votes in the system. In a direct election, these fraudulent votes would devalue the votes of every legitimate voter in the country. With the Electoral College, no matter what the margin of victory in Illinois, the candidate gets 21 electoral votes, no more and no less. Finally, the Electoral College helps focus recount issues. Remember what a nightmare the election was in 2000 because of the closeness of the vote in Florida. Imagine a direct national election for president where the candidates are separated by only a few thousand votes and the loser demands a recount. Th e possibilities for a long, drawn-out, and fraud-prone process on a national scale (think Minnesota Senate race 2008 multiplied by 50!) are endless. With the Electoral College, any recount issues are likely to be isolated to at most a handful of states. And, just in case you need one more piece of evidence that we should keep the Electoral College, just consider this: the editorial board of the New York Times wants to get rid of it! (Google “Flunking the Electoral College” and you will see their editorial from November 19, 2008).

At our luncheon prior to the Electoral College meeting, one of the electors kept joking about when he was going to get his ‘diploma’ for graduating from the Electoral College. I think he left Austin disappointed in that regard. But I challenge you to earn your Electoral College ‘diploma’ – take that facts I have laid out for you in this article; go read the Constitution and do a little research of your own.

Th en, next time you hear someone talk about abolishing the Electoral College, you will be prepared. Take up Benjamin Franklin’s challenge to help keep this Republic! n

in hundreds of thousands of ‘extra’ fraudulent votes in the

CD 24 PresidentialElector Tom Ferguson

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Vice President Joseph Biden delivered the Obama ad-ministration’s fi rst major foreign policy address last week at the Munich Security Conference. It was just the sort of thing Europeans tend to like. Biden off ered bouquets to diplomacy, to multinational institutions, and to respecting other cultures. “It was not an accident,” he told his conti-nental audience, “that (Obama) gave his very fi rst interview as president to Al-Arabiya.”

Th e new administration is entitled to pursue whatever foreign policy they think best in the next four years (God help us). But attempting to falsify the history of the Bush years should not go unremarked.

Just as he did during the campaign, when then-candidate Biden declared that we had “kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon,” among other whoppers, Biden is again (presumably with the full support and encouragement of President Obama) inventing his own history to suit his political purposes.

“Our administration is reviewing policy toward Iran,” Biden declared, “but this much I can say: We are willing to talk.”

Unlike whom? Obama’s predecessor? Th e Bush adminis-tration held at least 28 separate meetings between Ameri-cans of ambassadorial rank and Iranian offi cials during the eight years of the Bush presidency. According to the Middle East Forum, more than 16 meetings were held in Geneva and Paris from November 2001 through December 2002 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Aff airs Ryan Crocker and senior Iranian Foreign Ministry offi cials. A number of high-level direct negotia-tions were conducted in 2003, and a number of indirect contacts were maintained through the Europeans between 2003 and 2007. In March 2007, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting with an Ira-nian team at a conference of Iraq’s neighbors in Baghdad. Khalilzad’s successor, Crocker, also met with the Iranian ambassador. Th us the U.S. gave full backing to a (fruitless) Eu-ropean Union initiative to negotiate with Iran about its nuclear program.

Biden announced last week, as if there were something new under the sun, “We are will-

“We Loveto Talk,” Declares Biden

BY MONA CHAREN

"…attempting to falsify the history of the Bush years should not go unremarked."

Mona Charen

Vice-President Joe Biden(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/

Getty Images)

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ing to talk to Iran, and to off er a very clear choice: continue down your current course and there will be pressure and isolation; abandon your illicit nuclear program and support for terrorism and there will be meaningful incentives.”

Ah, “meaningful incentives.” Why didn’t someone think of that before? Let’s see, here’s a CNN clip from May 8, 2008: “Th e United States has signed off on a European plan that would off er increased incentives for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program, senior State Department offi cials said Th ursday.

…Th e United States, along with the other nations, has been following a ‘dual track strategy’ with Iran, which includes tightening sanctions on the regime while off ering incentives if Iran suspends its enrichment activities.” Page back through the past eight years and you can fi nd the iden-tical story over and over again. Th e U.S. and the Europeans have been perpetual Charlie Browns running to kick the football to the Iranian Lucy.

So now the Obama Administration proposes to do exactly, exactly the same thing. But they do so loudly proclaiming how diff erent they are. And the clock ticks, and Ahmadinejad – who affi rmatively desires global chaos because he believes it portends the arrival of the 12th imam – gets ever closer to a nuclear weapon.

“ We do not believe in a clash of civilizations,” said Biden. Another straw man. Th e Bush administration never framed the war on terror as a clash of civilizations and in fact made every eff ort to remind the world that we respected Islam. We heard that Islam was a “religion of peace” more from Bush and Co. than we ever heard it from leading Muslims. One of President Bush’s fi rst stops in the days after 9/11 was the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. And it was Bush who began to observe Ramadan at the White House.

Th e new administration betrays a touching faith in diplomacy. Democrats always do. What they have never seemed to appreciate is that diplomacy without the threat of force is as eff ective as a watchdog with a muzzle. Perhaps Obama might consider a muzzle the next time Biden goes for an outing. nTo fi nd out more about Mona Charen and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syn-dicate Web page at www.creators.com.Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) (L) speaks as U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) listens during the Des Moines Register Republican Presidential Debate at the Iowa Public Television studios December 12, 2007 in Johnston, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Gannon-Pool/Getty Images)

Islamic Center of Washington has been visited by many high profi le dignitaries, including several presidents. The highest profi le visit was by President George W. Bush on September 17, 2001 only days after the attacks of September 11. On national television, Bush quoted from the Koran and worked to assure Americans that vast majority of Muslims are peaceful.

"� e U.S. and the Europeans have been perpetual Charlie Browns running to kick the

football to the Iranian Lucy".

President Mahmud Ahmadinejâd speaking at Columbia University on 24 September 2007

Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran.

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Mrs. Schlafl y is the founder and national President of Eagle Forum, one of the foremost conservative, pro-family groups in the country, with offi ces in Washington, D.C. and St. Louis. A personal friend of President Reagan, she successfully mobilized thousands of pro-family activists across the nation to stop the so-called Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as it appeared to be on a speedy path to ratifi cation. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has announced formation of an exploratory committee for a gubernatorial campaign in 2010, will also be speaking, along with Congressmen Michael Burgess and Kenny Marchant. Gov. Rick Perry has also been invited.

Mrs. Schlafl y has taken on the hard issues of our day and delivered concise, accurate and easy-to-digest information on illegal immigration, judicial appointments, public education, national sovereignty, dangerous treaties, and more. And her successes have been many. She is routinely courted by candidates seeking the conservative vote, as her infl uence with conservatives throughout the country is legendary. Named by Ann Coulter as one her role models, she is described by Ms. Coulter as “… just an amazing woman! …a senior statesman in the Republican Party. She has had a dominant infl uence on the Republican Party platform for at least two decades. Ask any U.S. senator, Republican or Democrat: Would you rather your pet bill be opposed by [arch feminist] Gloria Steinem or Phyllis Schlafl y?” Th eir response might be: “Gloria who?”

Having been personally acquainted with President Reagan, Mrs. Schlafl y will have some interesting stories to share, but her keynote address will focus on our endangered national sovereignty as she asks, “Are You Ready for Obama’s Change?”

Her remarks will inform, inspire and perhaps enrage as she shares well-documented but little-publicized facts.

Many conservatives have heard her speak at both the Texas State GOP Convention as well as the National Convention, and her work to keep the national platform strongly conservative is legendary. She formed the Republican National Coalition for Life to successfully ward off the challenges to the platform’s pro-life plank.

Held at the D/FW Hyatt Regency, the evening promises to be both patriotic and informative, with Mark Davis once again as Master of Ceremonies. A VIP Reception plus both live and silent auctions will add to the evening’s enjoyment.

Individual dinner tickets are available for $65, VIP Reception tickets for $150 and tables of ten for $1000 and up, with various special benefi ts for table hosts. To make a reservation or for more information, please contact the DCRP Headquarters at 940/321-2671 or l-rdinner@dentongop.org. n

Phyllis Schlafl yto Headline Lincoln-Reagan EventThe matriarch of the modern conservative movement, Phyllis Schlafl y, will be the keynote speaker at the Feb. 21 Denton County GOP Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, the major fund-raising event each year for the DCRP.

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Reagan, Mrs. Schlafl y will have some interesting stories to share, but her keynote address will focus on our endangered national sovereignty as she asks, “Are You Ready for Obama’s Change?”

to stop the so-called Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S.

Mrs. Schlafl y has taken on the hard issues of our day and

President Ronald Reagan and Phyllis Schlafl y

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

Phyllis Schlafl y